Strategies for finding popular toys this holiday season

Parents are about to begin the scramble for the next toy their child can’t live without.

While there’s no breakout hot toy for Christmas this year – so far – that doesn’t mean popular presents will be easy to find. This year, stores are being cautious with inventory, so some toys might be scarce when the holidays get nearer.

But never fear: Here are some strategies to make sure that whatever toy your child wants, from the latest Monster High doll to the child-size LeapPad Explorer, is under the tree, without having to pay exorbitantly on eBay or elsewhere.

SHOP EARLY: Toy makers and retailers are working more diligently than ever to ensure that there won’t be a large oversupply of toys after the holidays, which ends up costing them money. Jim Silver, an analyst at Timetoplaymag.com, predicts the hottest toys will be scarce by Dec. 1 – when many people are just starting to think about gifts. So even though your child’s thoughts might still be on Halloween, now is the time to figure out what he or she wants and start shopping.MAKE A RESERVATION: Fortunately, this year stores are making it easy to shop early, with layaway services and other offers. Even if you don’t have the cash yet, you can still start shopping. Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Kmart have dropped fees, minimum balances and other requirements to make it easier to use layaway programs. In addition, Toys R Us launched a “hot toy” reservation system, which lets parents reserve toys before they hit shelves.

GO ONLINE: Not only can ordering toys online make shopping quicker and easier, it also offers a trove of information. Check out a brand’s Facebook page or Twitter hashtag to find other people looking for the same toys who might have tips on where to find them. In addition, using a shopping cart on Amazon might help you save money. Amy Barseghian, mother and blogger at mommy-mentor.com, recommends filling up your Amazon cart with toys, but waiting to actually buy them. If an item in your cart gets cheaper, Amazon will send you an alert.

BE SMART ABOUT STORE STOCKING: The days of running from store to store trying to find the hot toy are over, because most stores have added online services that can tell you which location has a product in stock. Many also offer ship-to-store options or same-day deliv­ery. If they don’t, Emily Vanek, mother of three sons and owner and editor of ColoradoMoms.com, recommends calling before you go. If the store doesn’t have an item, make them do the work of calling other locations to find what you want. Timing is key, Vanek says. She advises, if possible, to go shopping at lunch on Fridays, when stores are freshly stocked right before the weekend rush. “That’s how we scored quite a few toys,” she says.

ENLIST YOUR FRIENDS: Your best weapon for finding hot toys might be your social circle. Vanek makes a list of all the toys on her list and then shares it with her friends, who also have their own lists. “We all know what each other’s kids want, so if we see something, we’ll buy it and swap later,” Vanek says. If the other person already has that toy, just return it.

“It beats looking for something on eBay and spending two or three times as much.”